How to Clean Windows Without Chemicals + a HomeRight Steam Machine Plus Giveaway

I can never seem to keep my windows clean. Between the pollen and the rain and the kids’ dirty handprints, the glass gets dirty about 10 seconds after I clean it.

But, have you ever noticed how much brighter your home is with clean windows? It makes a world of difference!

So, with that in mind, I do try to clean my windows when I am bored enough or trying to avoid something else enough to actually do it (you feel me on that, don’t you?). I try to avoid using chemical filled cleaning supplies where possible, but it’s been difficult finding something non-toxic that works as well as Windex does on my windows.

Well, until now.

I have started using the handheld portion of my HomeRight Steam Machine Plus (Amazon affiliate link) and a clean microfiber cloth to clean my windows, and the results are amazing.

Here’s an image looking out of the glass in our backdoor window. I focused the camera on the actual its glass itself, so you can see smudges and tons of dirt. Such a pretty thing to see every day!

To clean my windows, I put the squeegee attachment onto the handheld portion of the Steam Machine Plus and fill it with water. Once it heats up, I make one pass down with the steam and then wipe it with a dry microfiber cloth. Then, I do the next section and wipe it dry. I just try to get the wet window wiped before it dries, which happens pretty quickly with the steam.

I clean both the inside and the outside of my windows using this method. It really doesn’t take much more time to clean this way then it did to spray the yucky Windex and wipe it off my windows.

Here’s a shot of the same window after it has been totally cleaned, with my camera again focusing on the glass. Crazy, huh? We have one of those windows that has the blinds inside of it on this door, and the dust that you see in this image is between those two panes of glass – and I’m not a big enough freak to take the window apart to clean it. Sorry!

I have a giveaway going on for a HomeRight Steam Machine Plus, so make sure you enter. Just leave a comment below telling me how you would use your new steam cleaner. The contest runs through 7/5/14 and is open to US Residents, 18 years and older

Do you have a steam cleaner? Have you used it to clean your windows?

This post is sponsored by HomeRight, but all opinions – and dirty windows – are my own.

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Jack and Duke). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.

Ugh! my grout! Get that grime out! Window and door–the smears I abhor… And I cannot forget to mention the floor!! Car seats dirtied with muddy paws; Please help me fix these flaws!! I need a machine with steam to clean… So please let me win…because surely I’ll grin!

I would use the Homeright Steam Machine to clean my laminate floors in my apartment – but also all of the baseboards. Two cats + living in the desert makes for a lot of dust and hair that just loves to live on my baseboards! Thanks for hosting the giveaway!

I’m trying to do without a cleaning service, but back problems are an issue. I need a way to keep my kitchen, hall, bathrooms and office floors clean without getting down on hands and knees. I think this steam machine would do the job well without being too heavy to carry up and down stairs. Thanks for the opportunity to win one.

We just bought a house that was built in 1970. The people who lived here before us had the house the whole time and smoked constantly. Our house is just full of smoke! There are yellow stains everywhere and I swear every day I find a new weird place that is tobacco stained.

If I had a steam cleaner, I would clean THE ENTIRE HOUSE! Walls, windows, floors, shower, the massive amounts of wood paneling, the doors, the shades, the cabinets, the closets, everything. Also my car and the high chair (LOVE that idea! That thing is so darn hard to clean!).

Window… what a brilliant idea. If i were lucky enough to win this I would attack the entire house. I think the bathroom shower doors and tile would be the first adventure. I may be nuts but I feel excited at the very thought of deep cleaning the house. ha.

Oh man, I would use it everywhere! Our horrible 1970’s linoleum floors, the toilets, that annoying area behind the kitchen and bathroom faucet, the shower tiles, and I could go on and on…..I wonder if I could rig up some kind of attachment to get it to reach our ceiling fan (we have 18 feet ceilings in the living room!)?

I would love to win this. I’d use it on all my floors & rugs. The (too) expensive stair runner that I can’t get clean. The tubs & surrounds along with all the rest of the bathroom, my stovetop & oven door & the windows in our sunroom. This is a fantastic giveaway, thank you.

I have stainless steel fridge, which clings to and highlights every touch with a whitish ghost. I’ve been scrubbing with ammonia to get rid of the white and then scrubbing with diluted vinegar to get rid of the streaks. If steam cleaner took care of this without the stink and tedious repetition, it would be a godsend!!!

I’ve never used a steam cleaner but I’m intrigued. I’m not one for gadgets so it has to be pretty awesome for me to purchase. Thank you for the link for all its uses. Now, I want one!!! Fingers crossed I win.

I would start with the floors, move on the bathroom and finally get that shower glass clean (hopefully!), then work on the oven door (yuk!). And then I would use it to get the wrinkles out of the clothes that I usually hang in the bathroom to “steam” while I take a shower. After that, I’d go back and do some of the things on your list of 20 because I had never thought that you could steam clean some of those! Long story short, I’d have a blast and have the cleanest house on the block!

I am grateful to you for sharing your creative idea of cleaning windows with the Homeright Steam Machine. Your demonstration on on steam cleaning has allowed me to realize I can clean my own windows, as well as my shower glass & tile, my car, and my large mirrors.

I’ve never used a steam cleaner, but have heard such wonderful things about how versatile they are. My whole house could definitely benefit from the deep cleaning a HomeRight Steam Machine Plus can do! I’d love to give it a try on my oven door and glass shower doors.

I’ve been hemming and hawing about a steam cleaner for about 6 months now. I really really want one! But I don’t know which one to get! lol Would be awful cool to win! I would love to use it on my kitchen and bathroom floors.

I could sure use the HomeRight Steam Machine on my house windows, we get a lot of Haboobs here in Phoenix and they cause a really big muddy mess on our windows. This would actually make cleaning windows fun 🙂

I would use this steam cleaner to clean everything in my home! I have all wood, tile and laminate floors, and so many more surfaces to clean. Thanks for the tips on cleaning windows, I will have to remember those.

I have been out of work since the end of 8/2014 and have applied to so many places. I feel like a professional job applicant! That being said the part-time janitor job has become available at the church I attend. I’m hoping I will be able to get this job if it’s not already taken. This would make my job so much easier! I might even expand and do some private homes. Thanks for the give away and I wish everyone the best!

About Makely

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Jack and Duke). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.